Considering she's 65 in this fic and Luke is 32, I think he's safe. Unless Callista is a cougar!

What single 65 year old woman wouldn't become a cougar to catch that 32 year old sexy farmboy!!! I would!! But if she did I think Mara would have a cougar head mounted over the fireplace mantle before long!

I can see Luke wanting to talk until the wee hours of the night with a real life Old Republic Jedi Master and that irritating Mara. She may not be jealous in the normal way, but she may be put out that her husband is spending so much time with somebody other than her.

I look forward to reading more.

Luke, be fascinated by an Old Republic Jedi?? That's SO out of character for him!

You're actually pretty on the mark, there.

But if she did I think Mara would have a cougar head mounted over the fireplace mantle before long!

Callista and the other four humans, members of an organization they called the Peacekeepers, led us through a maze of corridors and turbolifts that eventually ended up on Dreadnaught-Five, the survivors’ home. It was buried under the rock and rubble on the surface, providing more protection from the vast amounts of radiation given off by the Redoubt. There were only about two hundred colonists living on D-Five, but it was organized, efficient…and peaceful.

And while this Callista person was not in charge of the colony, she might as well been. I wanted to be annoyed with her, seeing how flabbergasted Luke was at the prospect of interacting with an Old Republic Jedi, but I couldn’t. Everyone respected and admired her, consulting her opinion even though she had no real authority. It was obvious why, judging by the reverential looks they gave Luke and me. She was a Jedi. The only one left.

That confused me, giving what I knew of Jorus C’baoth, the Jedi who spearheaded the Outbound Flight project. He did not command the same sort of admiration as Callista. He commanded fear and obedience, but not respect. Why did the colonists look up to her so much, instead of fearing her? I could only imagine that the answer lied in Outbound Flight’s final moments, and her ability to shape the colony over the past forty years.

We came to a stop in what Callista called the Council Meeting Chamber. This was where the Managing Council, the colony’s ruling body, governed. We were presented to Chas Uliar, the Director of the colony. My mind boggled, thinking of how so few people managed to not only survive the horrible destruction, but also create a stable government out of it. Perhaps the New Republic could learn something from them.

After exchanging introductions and pleasantries and explaining why we were interloping on their colony, the real discussion began—what happened to Outbound Flight, and what had changed in the galaxy over the past forty years.

I didn’t know which story would be easier to tell.

Luke and Callista took leadership roles for both sides—the explorers and the colonists. Nobody complained, although Drask seemed annoyed and Formbi somewhat nervous. Jinzler looked mournful and I wondered why he wasn’t taking point, being the “ambassador” and all. But I decided to let that slide until later. Hano, on the other hand, seemed fascinated by everything, especially Callista. It fit her story—that the Jedi saved her people—but I still didn’t buy it. But I would put my suspicions aside until later.

Narrowing my eyes, I turned my attention back to Callista’s story.

“It was all Jorus C’baoth’s idea,” Callista explained. “For two years he struggled to gain support for the project, getting approval from the Jedi Council, then the Senate, only to have it reneged at later dates. With all the corruption in the Republic, it was hard to explain the necessity of such a large project, even though C’baoth was adamant that we needed to explore other galaxies.

“But eventually he got the support he wanted, and after a particularly showy demonstration on the planet Barlok, he got even more than he asked for. At first, there was supposed to be minimal Jedi participation, but the project spiraled out of control and more Jedi volunteered to go along. Supreme Chancellor Palpatine approved everything, encouraging the project and Jedi participation.

“I was young then, only twenty-four when Outbound Flight launched. It appealed to my romantic side, going on a grand adventure. My...” Callista trailed off, searching for the appropriate word. “Partner,” she decided on, “Geith, also came along.

“At first, everything was perfect. But then C’baoth began to take more and more control over the mission. He believed that the Jedi should be in charge—that the Force granted us with particular gifts because it wanted us to rule. The Jedi did not agree, but none would dare challenge him. Then he tried to imprison some colonists in the supply core for daring to speak out against him. After that, we knew he needed to be stopped. A group of Jedi agreed to confront C’baoth down on D-One.” Callista paused. “It was then that they arrived.”

It was completely silent. Nobody needed to ask who “they” were. My gaze turned to Formbi, who gazed down with a penitent expression. Drask looked vacant.

“I’m not really sure what happened next,” Callista said. “I assume that C’baoth and the other tried to talk to the new arrivals—the Chiss. Then there was a battle. The Jedi split had up; I had stayed in the supply core to help those C’baoth had imprisoned. I imagine that’s the only reason we managed to survive the attack. I could tell just from the noise…” She trailed off, voice hitching as she remembered the destruction, all the senseless deaths.

“We jumped to hyperspace then. We got out of the supply core just in time for us to revert. Then we crashed. It took years before we were able to get down to D-One and explore the bridge, but when we tried to call up the ship logs, nothing happened. So even we don’t know the full story. After crashing, we knew we had to band together to survive. So we did.” She took a deep breath, grateful to have come to the end of her tale.

“Now you know what happened to us,” Director Uliar said. “Why don’t you fill us in on the past forty years?”

There was a beat; then all eyes turned to Luke. He stared straight ahead, belatedly noticing that he was now the center of attention. His eyes widened and he held out a hand. “No, Ambassador Formbi, you should speak.”

Formbi shook his head. “I believe you know the story of your Republic far better than I.”

Luke grimaced and looked to me. You’re on your own, flyboy, I sent to him. I patted his arm. It does sound better coming from you.

His grimace turned into a full-fledged scowl. He sighed reluctantly. “Okay. Well, as it turned out, Supreme Chancellor Palpatine was actually…”

Luke talked for a long, long time. The colonists seemed shocked by all that had occurred in the known galaxy, understandably. Callista especially was distraught. I wanted to comfort her, but felt odd doing so, barely knowing her. So instead I held Luke’s hand and sent soothing thoughts in her direction. She glanced at me a few times, looking grateful.

There was still much to discuss, but Uliar insisted that we be shown to spare quarters. Formbi said that we could stay on the Chaf Envoy, but Uliar would have none of it. We returned to the Chaf Envoy to get some supplies, dropped them off in our rooms, and went back to the council chambers. Then Formbi finally took charge, mentioning that it was essential that the colony be moved, as it was located in Chiss territory. The Managing Council was not pleased by this at all, and a heated discussion broke out.

After a while, Luke’s Jedi patience reached the end of its rope. He had wanted to question Callista since the moment he realized there was a Jedi onboard, and had shown superhuman restraint in waiting so long. But now, he was done waiting. While Formbi and Uliar went back and forth about relocating the colony, Luke pulled Callista aside, that familiar gleam in his eyes. The gleam he always got whenever Tionne presented him with a new textbook or holocron. I remembered that look well from when several other apprentices and I returned to the Academy carrying Jedi and Sith holocrons. Luke had been over the moon then. I could only imagine what he felt now, talking to an actual Jedi Knight from the Old Republic. We always assumed that more of them had survived the Purge, but so far none had come forward. Perhaps they hadn’t yet learned of the Jedi Academy, or still feared backlash against the Jedi. Considering what Luke and I had just gone through with Fey’lya, I couldn’t blame them very much.

But Callista…she could answer every question Luke could concoct. Knowing the fate about to befall the poor woman, who had only just learned that everyone she knew from the Republic was dead, I decided it was best to intervene.

Luke had barely gotten a few words out of his mouth before I appeared at his side, rubbing my belly soothingly. “Luke, do you have water in your pack?” I asked him.

Sure enough, his overprotective instincts came shooting to the forefront. “Yes, love.” He pulled out a bottle and handed it to me. “Where’s your pack?”

“I left it in the room.” I smiled at him before taking a generous sip of water. “Thank you.”

“You should keep that with you all the time,” Callista said, staring at my stomach. “Hydration is very important while pregnant.”

Even though I had just rushed to this woman’s assistance, her suggestion still raised my ire. But she did have a point. “Of course. I was just tired of carrying the pack.” It was a complete lie, of course, but it served its purpose of excusing my presence in this conversation.

“Is there somewhere we could go and talk?” Luke asked Callista. “I have so many questions—if you’re up to it, of course. I know you’ve had quite a shock.”

“No, it’s fine,” Callista said. “I have questions for you, as well.” They exchanged a smile and Callista gestured to leave the room. Luke followed, remembering belatedly that I was standing there and turning around to hold out his hand.

I ignored it, brushing past him to draw alongside Callista. I gave him a look that only he could comprehend. He cringed, but underneath that chagrined expression I could sense annoyance. He’d finally stopped doting on me, and now I didn’t want his attention being taken away from me.

Well, so what? It was my prerogative as his pregnant wife.

I whipped around and engaged Callista in small talk, leaving him to stew with questions before we got to another small room that was filled with a table and chairs. Obviously an eating area of some kind. Luke and I took seats across from Callista. He immediately took my hand and I let him, the moment of uneasiness between us already passed.

I guess I was almost as interested as he was to learn the stories Callista had to tell.

“I’m sure you have a lot of questions,” Callista started. “If the Jedi really are dead.” Her expression turned downcast, and I felt a huge spike of sympathy for her.

Luke nodded sadly. “There were a few that survived. Obi-Wan Kenobi. Mara’s mother, we think, but aren’t entirely sure. Valin Halcyon. And we believe there are more in hiding, but I guess many are still wary of announcing themselves as Jedi.” He glanced at me. “Some members of our government haven’t been exactly,” he paused to consider his words, “fond of the Jedi, you could say.”

Callista’s brow furrowed. “What about those who accompanied you? The Chiss Ascendancy and Empire of the Hand?”

Callista’s entire expression fell. “One hundred?” For a moment, I thought she might cry. But she blinked away tears, composing herself immediately. “That’s how many of us there were on this ship,” she said in a small voice.

“There were a hundred Jedi on Outbound Flight?” Luke sounded incredulous. “I thought it was much smaller than that.”

“Originally, that was the plan. But Master C’baoth gained more and more support for the project, and the Council couldn’t refuse him. And Chancellor Palpatine gave him everything he wanted.” Callista let out a sigh. “He was really Emperor?”

I nodded. “Yes. And that’s exactly the kind of thing he would do—round up as many Jedi as he could in one place and destroy them in one blast.” I felt my hands clench into fists and had to remind myself to breathe deeply, that I shouldn’t get too stressed. “He was a vile man.”

“It’s just…so hard to imagine. Although, thinking about it, even then there were people who didn’t like him very much.”

I snorted. “They were very astute, then. It took me a long time.” A sad silence fell over the room. Over the past few days I’d felt a sense of nostalgia for the Empire. And now I was faced with a woman who lost nearly everything because of Palpatine, the man I served.

Luke squeezed my hand.

Callista, not understanding what was going on beneath the surface, spoke up again. “You mentioned that Obi-Wan Kenobi survived the Purge?”

“Yes,” Luke said. “He was my first mentor—the person who introduced me to the Force. He was killed by Darth Vader not long after that.”

“Darth Vader?”

“A Sith Lord,” Luke answered, obviously not wanting to get into the entire story. “Along with Palpatine.”

Callista nodded. “There was talk of the Sith reappearing about five years before Outbound Flight. I guess the Council was right.” She paused. “I always wondered what happened to Obi-Wan. He left Outbound Flight so abruptly.”

Luke’s head snapped up. “Obi-Wan was here?”

“Yes. But Chancellor Palpatine himself came out to retrieve him, along with his Padawan, Anakin Skywalker. I always wondered why.”

I could barely look at Luke. We both knew exactly why Palpatine would go to such lengths to ensure Anakin Skywalker survived. Palpatine had his sights on him even back then. Anakin had to be all of what—fourteen? It shouldn’t have surprised me, but it did.

Just another reminder, then, of what the Empire was really like.

“Palpatine took them off the ship because he wanted Anakin,” Luke explained. “Anakin Skywalker became Darth Vader.”

The shock on Callista’s face was evident. “Anakin? Sweet little Anakin?” She shook her head. “No, that’s not possible. How do you know this?”

Now I was the one to squeeze Luke’s hand in reassurance. “I know,” he said quietly, “because he was my father.”

Callista stared at him with widening eyes. “Oh. Oh! Skywalker! Of course…I’m sorry, I didn’t make the connection. Skywalker is a common name and marriage was forbidden for Jedi from Coruscant…” She trailed off, realizing her excitement was inappropriate. “I’m sorry,” she said again.

“It’s okay,” Luke assured her. “I’ve made my peace.”

Callista was silent for a moment. “What about Diya, then?”

Luke and I shared a curious glance. “Diya?” I asked.

“Diya Rohan. She was a Jedi from Coruscant. Palpatine ordered her to leave with Anakin and Obi-Wan.”

“I’m sorry, I’ve never heard of her,” Luke said.

“Oh.” Callista looked saddened. “She was a good friend. I was hoping that she had survived.” She paused. “It still doesn’t make sense after all these years. She couldn’t stand Palpatine, spoke out against him every time the Council would listen. She left the Republic to get away from him and his influence. Why would he remove her? She was a nuisance to him.” Callista shook her head.

“I don’t know the answer to that.” Luke shrugged. “I don’t think any of us can really understand the mind of Palpatine.” But even as he spoke, a theory began to formulate in my mind…

Callista nodded slowly. “From what you say, I believe that is a very good thing.”

We were silent for long moments. Then Luke spoke up. “Would you mind telling us about the Order, Callista?”

Callista smiled. “If you will tell me about yours.”

Luke smiled back. “Deal.”

We talked for a long time. Callista told us about her life as a Jedi, how she’d come under the tutelage of a man named Djinn Altis. Separate from the Jedi living on Coruscant, Callista maintained a life outside the Order and entered into a relationship with a fellow Jedi named Geith. Together they agreed to volunteer for Outbound Flight, believing that it would be their chance to make a difference in the galaxy. In the end, Geith gave his life to save the colonists, and Callista lost everything she’d ever known.

It grew late. Uliar sought us out and advised that we retire to our quarters for the evening. Tomorrow we would be given the opportunity to explore Outbound Flight.

Overwhelmed by the events of the day, Luke and I arrived back at our quarters. Uliar had offered us a meal but I felt guilty accepting, so I greedily ate a few of our ration bars. I wasn’t yet to the point where I wanted to eat everything in sight, but it was definitely not a good idea for me to skip meals. Luke ate his bar slowly, his blue eyes far away.

When we were done, I nudged him with my elbow. “What’re you thinking?” It was a silly question, as I could sense his thoughts almost as well as my own, but I knew he’d appreciate my asking.

“About Anakin,” he said. “How Palpatine extricated him from the mission. Why Anakin and Obi-Wan even got on the ship in the first place.”

Luke let out a short laugh. “Yeah.” He glanced around our small room. “I can’t believe he was here, though. It’s so…unreal.”

“I know.” I patted his arm. “What do you think about this Diya Rohan person?”

Luke shrugged. “Like I said, I’ve never heard of her. She’s not in any of the records Tionne’s uncovered.” He sighed and rose from the bed, pacing the floor. “And if what Callista tells us is true, it doesn’t make sense for Palpatine to remove her from the mission.”

“Right.” I waited a moment, then rose and began rustling through a bag. “What if Callista is wrong?” I suggested casually.

A look of realization passed over his face. “But Callista was her friend.”

“And Supreme Chancellor Palpatine had the support of the Jedi Council,” I said dryly. “Them being friends doesn’t mean anything.”

“You’re right. So what’s your theory?”

“My theory,” I said as I peeled off my clothes and pulled on a loose night shirt, “is that Diya Rohan was secretly working for Palpatine as a spy in the Jedi Order.”

Luke nodded. “Okay. But why send her on Outbound Flight to begin with?”

“Who knows? You’re the one who said he’s impossible to understand. Maybe he wanted her to spread seeds of discontent, or just to keep watch.” I shrugged. “It doesn’t really matter.”

“I wonder if you knew her,” Luke said. “In the Empire, I mean,” he quickly added upon seeing the expression on my face. “If she worked for Palpatine—”

“She might have been his first Hand,” I finished for him. In the years following my Knighthood, I’d learned that Grand Admiral Thrawn was telling me the truth when he said I wasn’t the only one. Luke’s suggestion made sense. “If that’s the case, I wouldn’t have known her. Palpatine kept me far away from the others. The only one I ever saw in person was Lumiya, and that was just in passing.”

“Right,” Luke muttered. “So we don’t even know if Diya Rohan is alive or dead.”

“If she was alive, she would’ve shown her face by now,” I pointed out. “Lumiya came after me right away.”

“Maybe. Maybe not.” Luke waved a hand. “We could go back and forth on this all day. We need to concentrate on the here and now. We still don’t know the truth about Jinzler and Hano.”

“You’re right. Tomorrow we need to focus on getting information from them.”

“I agree.”

The conversation ended. Luke stripped to his shorts and we climbed into the small bunk. It wasn’t luxurious by any means, but it was adequate. I was used to quarters like this.

But even so, I couldn’t sleep. The day’s events kept passing through my mind, everything we’d learned. But most of all my thoughts lingered on Callista Masana. She had lost everything—her lover and friends—but lived on, becoming a leader for the colony. The younger ones looked up to her example.

Would I be able to do the same? Hadn’t I done so already?

But what if I ever lost Luke? Five years ago I wanted him dead and now I couldn’t imagine living without him. We were bonded for life. I knew that death was always a possibility, especially in our line of work, but I always discounted it. I believed that if the Force wanted us dead, it would have killed us a long time ago. And now I was pregnant with his child and could not imagine raising this baby on my own. Callista, on the other hand, had been a mother to an entire colony, without Geith at her side.

My hand rose on its own accord to play with the green stone around my neck, a common habit when I was nervous. Luke turned over and wrapped his arm around me. “You okay?”

I burrowed into him, not trusting myself to speak at the moment. Gaining composure, I said, “Promise me you’ll never leave us.”

And what a great chapter this is!!!! I love Callista's story. I love how excited Luke is to talk to a Jedi of the Old Order. I love how Mara intervened to help stave off Luke's crazed excitment on poor Callie.

I love the parallel of 100 Jedi. How sad for Callista to have lost everything she had ever known and now to find that there are barely 100 Jedi in the galaxy. What a shock!

And I love, love, love, love, a thousand times love this:

JediMara77 said:

He nodded, or foreheads touching. ?The Force will always be with you, Mara, and so will I.?

It was exactly what I needed. I kissed him and pulled him close, and later we fell asleep in each other?s arms, safe and content and together.

A squeeeeeeeeeeeeee from ginchy lee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ahem. I just love how abiding their love is. And I love the use of that line from SQ. JM77 + Zahn = AWESOME-SAUCE

Very nice! I'm intrigued by the details of Callista's story (Obi-Wan and Anakin...this mysterious person Diya - I have a couple of suspicions...) and as always your portrayals of our favorite characters are spot-on.

Great post! This Callista is somewhat bearable I liked how Mara 'saved' her a bit from a drooling Luke. He was of course drooling over the fact that she is a Old Republic Jedi, not her 60 some odd year body.

And while this Callista person was not in charge of the colony, she might as well been. I wanted to be annoyed with her, seeing how flabbergasted Luke was at the prospect of interacting with an Old Republic Jedi, but I couldn?t. Everyone respected and admired her, consulting her opinion even though she had no real authority.
I just love that Mara wants to be annoyed with Callista but can't! It captures us readers and the position we're in; this Callista hasn't done anything wrong - on the contrary! I wish her character hadn't been treated so stupidly in DS - she was worth better!

?Okay. Well, as it turned out, Supreme Chancellor Palpatine was actually??
Loved Callista's story - and them Luke getting all the attention! And perfect cutting off her on his story!

After a while, Luke?s Jedi patience reached the end of its rope. He had wanted to question Callista since the moment he realized there was a Jedi onboard, and had shown superhuman restraint in waiting so long. But now, he was done waiting. While Formbi and Uliar went back and forth about relocating the colony, Luke pulled Callista aside, that familiar gleam in his eyes.
Familiar indeed!! Oh, I love that guy!!!

Knowing the fate about to befall the poor woman, who had only just learned that everyone she knew from the Republic was dead, I decided it was best to intervene.
Hilarious! Especially with the EU perspective in the back of your mind!

Luke had barely gotten a few words out of his mouth before I appeared at his side, rubbing my belly soothingly. ?Luke, do you have water in your pack?? I asked him. Oh, Mara, you sneaky woman!

Luke followed, remembering belatedly that I was standing there and turning around to hold out his hand.

I ignored it, brushing past him to draw alongside Callista. I gave him a look that only he could comprehend. He cringed, but underneath that chagrined expression I could sense annoyance. He?d finally stopped doting on me, and now I didn?t want his attention being taken away from me.
Yes, it's unfair indeed! Poor Luke - poor men in general!

Diya??She couldn?t stand Palpatine, spoke out against him every time the Council would listen. She left the Republic to get away from him and his influence. Why would he remove her? She was a nuisance to him.?
Very interesting. As are Mara's theories of her...

Luke stripped to his shorts
I love it when you include important details like this! Great writing! Great writing indeed! I can actually see this happening! And then he'll... uh, um... back to the story

?No, I mean?don?t leave us. Ever.?

Luke bit his lip, understanding what I meant. He could not make such a promise?I knew that, of course?but at the moment, it didn?t matter. I needed reassurance.

He nodded, our foreheads touching. ?The Force will always be with you, Mara, and so will I.?
Wow! This quote gets SO much better when you frame it in the topic you do! Even if they loose each other physically, they'll remain with each other in the Force! I love that!!!

Finally have time to catch up on one of your stories. The Ways of the Force will still have to wait a bit. Unfortunately fanfiction has to fall down on the priority list when you are a college student. Hopefully I will have some time soon.

Great chapter! I can?t believe I?m going to say this?I never thought I would say this in any form, but I liked Callista in this chapter.

More options

I love how Mara intervened to help stave off Luke's crazed excitment on poor Callie.

Ironic, huh?

A squeeeeeeeeeeeeee from ginchy lee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You need to trademark that! I'm glad you enjoyed!

Jedi_Lover: Anakin and Obi-Wan being on Outbound Flight is canon. I thought that was a really interesting twist on the story, and had to keep it here. Diya is my own creation.

Jade_eyes: Re: mulling over, this is my first time writing a true mystery, and it's exciting. I like keeping readers in the dark.

Luke and Mara have been through so much. I figured that encountering Callista and hearing her story would trigger some emotions within Mara. And I love that line from SQ so I had to borrow it.

taramidala:I'm intrigued by the details of Callista's story (Obi-Wan and Anakin...this mysterious person Diya - I have a couple of suspicions...) and as always your portrayals of our favorite characters are spot-on.

Thank you! Oooh, I'd like to hear your suspicions.

Hazel: Thanks!

Briannakin: Thank you! I hope to make Callista even more likeable as time goes on.

Curtis: You can't blame her! Lol.

Mondra: Thank you! A weird feeling about Diya Rohan? Good.

JainaSoloYJK: I'd like to hear your theories, too. I always felt bad for the Outbound Flight survivors, how confusing the new galaxy must be. Thank you!

kataja:I just love that Mara wants to be annoyed with Callista but can't! It captures us readers and the position we're in; this Callista hasn't done anything wrong - on the contrary! I wish her character hadn't been treated so stupidly in DS - she was worth better!

I completely agree. I'm one who thinks that Luke having previous relationships makes the love between Luke and Mara stronger and more interesting. I wish Callista hadn't said that stupid line at the end.

Loved Callista's story - and them Luke getting all the attention! And perfect cutting off her on his story!

After that, he can just pop in the Blu Rays.

Hilarious! Especially with the EU perspective in the back of your mind!

And there's even more of that later on.

I love it when you include important details like this! Great writing! Great writing indeed! I can actually see this happening! And then he'll... uh, um... back to the story

Don't anybody say that I don't care about my readers.

Wow! This quote gets SO much better when you frame it in the topic you do! Even if they loose each other physically, they'll remain with each other in the Force! I love that!!!

Thank you!

jaded jewel: Ooh, good luck with school! (HA! I accidentally wrote 'Good Luke'!) Thanks for keeping up with one of my stories! WotF isn't going anywhere.

I liked Callista in this chapter

SUCCESS!

Thanks for reading, everyone! I'm working on the next chapter. It should be up sometime soon.

I finished my other fic, so I have more time to work on this now. Hopefully updates will come faster now.

Jedi_Lover: Anakin and Obi-Wan being on Outbound Flight is canon. I thought that was a really interesting twist on the story, and had to keep it here. Diya is my own creation.

I probably don't remember that because this is how I read L/M profics: Luke & Mara scenes--READ, READ, READ. Scenes without Mara and Luke-SKIP,SKIP,SKIP. I need to start reading the books in their entirety and stop skimming for L/M Bootknocking.

Jedi_Lover:I probably don't remember that because this is how I read L/M profics: Luke & Mara scenes--READ, READ, READ. Scenes without Mara and Luke-SKIP,SKIP,SKIP. I need to start reading the books in their entirety and stop skimming for L/M Bootknocking.

You are too funny. You've probably missed a lot that way. Anyway, in canon Luke never learned about his father being on Outbound Flight. Their story is in the novel of the same name, which is awesome despite being a prequel novel.

It was the third time Luke had asked me that question since venturing off to explore the rest of Outbound Flight. And, for the third time, I nodded and said I was fine.

But I wasn’t.

With permission from the Ruling Council, Luke and I went off on our own to visit two of the adjoining dreadnaughts. We really wanted to go to D-One, which we thought would contain the most information, but it was above ground and subject to more radiation. The dreadnaughts’ hulls provided adequate amounts of protection, but I decided not to risk it. Luke would explore later on, accompanied by Callista and some of the Peacekeepers. As we found out, the colonists were contained to D-Five for safety reasons, and only a few people had ever been down to D-One. I wondered what they would find there, and almost felt bad about missing out.

Luke and I explored D-Four and D-Six instead, then took a side trip to the central supply core. The six dreadnaughts were arranged in a circle, connected via turbolift pylons, around a central storage core. The idea was that, if Outbound Flight came upon a planet suitable for colonization, one of the dreadnaughts could break off with an adequate amount of supplies and land there.

I wasn’t prepared for seeing the destruction on the other dreadnaughts. D-Five seemed relatively undamaged, as it was where the colonists lived and had the most time to clean up. The other dreadnaughts, on the other hand, were not in such good condition. I’d seen the destruction when we first arrived, but this was much worse. Because the ships were so damaged, it as almost impossible to find bodies. But we still came upon errant skulls and bones, reminding me of the true extent of my former master’s depravity. My jaw must have been set the entire trip, for Luke kept his distance, offering mental support and talking little. It was worse when we got to the supply core. I couldn’t imagine how much food, water, and other supplies were there, separated into piles for easy retrieval. Enough supplies for 50,000 people. Who Palpatine intended to kill from the very beginning.

When we got into the lift to go back to D-Five, Luke finally started asking how I was. I knew he wouldn’t stop until I admitted that I wasn’t fine, and he knew that I’d never say the words. It was a constant battle between us, and I’d learned over the years to let him win sometimes, as he’d learned to back off until I approached him myself. But perhaps because I was pregnant, or just because of the situation we were in, he wouldn’t give up.

He asked me again and my head whipped toward him. I pinned him with a glare. “No, I’m not okay, and I don’t want to talk about it, all right?”

Luke blinked. “Well, at least you admitted it.”

“Skywalker.”

“You can’t keep things in, Mara.” He glanced at my stomach.

“Oh please. Don’t start this again. I’m not going to go into premature labor because I’m upset that I once served an evil megalomaniac.”

He wasn’t amused. “I’m serious, Mara.”

I leaned against the turbolift wall and sighed. The lifts were fast, but it was still a while before we’d get back to D-Five. “So am I, Luke. I can’t talk about this right now.”

Something in my tone of voice must have changed because Luke nodded in understanding and gave up his line of questioning. “Okay.”

We fell into a peaceful silence. But once we were almost back to D-Five, the turbolift shuddered to a stop.

Luke glanced to me. “Did you touch anything?”

I was standing closest to the lift controls, but my hands had been firmly at my sides for the past several minutes. I shook my head. “No.”

Luke came over to examine the controls, and furrowed his brow. He pressed a button but nothing happened. “Are we stuck?”

“I don’t know. There’s only one way to find out.” I removed my lightsaber from my belt and ignited it. I wasn’t concerned, as Outbound Flight had been on this planetoid for quite some time and some systems were bound to fail. The previous day Uliar had mentioned how daunting it was to keep a ship the size of D-Five functional. Even turbolifts on Coruscant failed from time to time.

But as I lifted my blade to the ceiling I felt a glimmer of something in the back of my mind, a sensation I’d long learned to associate with danger. “Mara, wait!” Luke exclaimed, but I had already pulled my lightsaber back. Its hum reverberated off the turbolift walls as I stared at the ceiling in curiosity. “We can’t go out that way. I think there are cables around the walls.”

“Was already there,” I told him. “Should we investigate?” If we could remove a piece of the wall without nicking the cables, we might be able to figure out how to hotwire the lift.

“One sec.” He turned to the control panel and pressed another button, then shook his head. “Call button isn’t working.” He pulled his comlink from his belt. “Guess we have to call for help this way.”

“Right,” I said.

But he didn’t have a chance to call for help, because the lift started moving again. But this time it was moving in the opposite direction, going down toward the supply core. Even though the supply core was geographically above D-Five, the artificial gravity pulled everyone toward the supply core, functioning as the core of a planet.

And the lift was plummeting much, much too fast.

Luke and I glanced at each other, both trying to remain calm and hide our growing panic, but we both recognized that this wasn’t normal. “Something’s wrong,” I said.

Luke immediately began jamming the stop button on the control panel. His eyes widened. “It won’t stop!”

I tried to estimate where we were in relation to the supply core, but my ears were almost popping, we were going so fast. If we didn’t do something quick, we would crash into the supply core. I grabbed my lightsaber, ready to cut into the wall and slice the cables, trying for anything that would stop the lift.

Then, in the back of my mind, I felt the telltale sign of Luke reaching out into the Force. Even before our bond in the Force solidified, I’d always been able to sense him better than other Jedi. It wasn’t hard to figure out why—he was the most powerful Force user I’d ever encountered. Even more powerful than Palpatine. And as close as we'd become, sensing him reach out into the Force was such an astonishing feeling that I almost had to remind myself to breathe.

The lift stopped.

I froze, not wanting to move and cause the lift to continue dropping. It was completely silent. I chanced a glance at Luke; he was leaning against the wall of the lift, his eyes closed and mouth slightly parted. He looked completely serene, but I could sense the struggle in his mind as he fought to keep the lift stopped. Fought to keep his wife and unborn child from plummeting to their deaths.

“I’ll call for help,” I told him, even though he probably couldn’t even hear me. LaRone was the only person on our mission I truly trusted, so I contacted him. He sounded concerned and said he and the rest of his team would be there immediately. I clicked the comlink back on my belt, relieved.

I moved next to Luke and took his hand. His fingers intertwined with mine, but otherwise he didn’t react. He was concentrating too hard.

I leaned my head against his shoulder and closed my eyes, stretching out into the Force. All at once, I felt my mind envelop his and our bond in the Force flared, merging us into one being. Like vines woven together, stronger together than apart. Let me help, I whispered to him. But my words weren’t necessary as he greedily clung to my Force presence, wanting and needing my strength. All my concentration was on keeping the lift upright, but even still I couldn’t help smiling, thinking of how far he’d come. How far we’d both come.

It didn’t take long for LaRone to get us out of the elevator. None of the techs on Outbound Flight could figure out how to fix the controls, but they did manage to get the doors open on our car. Then it was up to Luke and me to raise the car to the next level, where we could exit safely. We asked LaRone to keep quiet about the incident, knowing that somebody on our mission had to be responsible. It was time for more investigating.

After leaving the others back at the mess, Luke and I hurried back to the Chaf Envoy and Jade's Fire, anxious to check our messages and send another one to Karrde for more information. Somebody had booby-trapped that turbolift, and it was only with the aide of the Force that Luke and I escaped with our lives. I didn't believe for a moment that it had been a freak accident, and if someone like LaRone got in the midst of another act of sabotage, they could die. I hadn’t expected something like this to happen when I insisted on coming along with Luke. I could sense that he regretted having me accompany him, but I was relieved that I had.

I felt a twinge of pain in my abdomen as I sat down at the captain’s chair, and I rubbed subconsciously. Perhaps Luke was right…perhaps I should have stayed home. But as Luke leaned forward to activate the comm system, I shook my head. No, I belonged here with Luke. I didn’t trust anybody else to have his back the way I could. The incident in the turbolift had proved that. We were a team.

Luke first checked our incoming messages, but found nothing. He pressed a few more buttons to send a message to Karrde, and furrowed his brow. He tried again.

“What is it?” I asked.

“I’m not getting a connection.”

“Want me to try?”

He gestured to the comm. “Go ahead.”

I did so, with the same results. I furrowed my own brow. “That’s odd.”

“Is it because of the interference in the Redoubt?”

I shook my head. “No, I got through every other time. This is different. It feels like…”

“Yeah, but if something else goes wrong…” He trailed off, worrying his lip.

I grabbed his hand. “Then we’ll have to make sure nothing else goes wrong. Let’s go.”

When we got back to Outbound Flight I let Luke take the lead on cornering Jinzler, knowing that my more confrontational nature wouldn’t help matters at all. Even still, I had to restrain myself upon seeing him, speaking with Formbi and Fel in the large mess hall as if nothing were wrong. Luke squeezed my hand tighter and I squeezed back, reassuring him that I wasn’t about to start yelling at Jinzler in front of the entire group. After all, we didn’t know for sure that he’d sabotaged the lift or tried to kill us on the Chaf Envoy.

I took a deep breath, trying to assuage my growing anger. It would do me no good.

“Ambassador Jinzler?” Luke placed a hand on Jinzler’s shoulder, gaining his attention. “Would you mind speaking to us for a moment?”

Jinzler turned away from the conversation. Any other observer would not have noticed the shift in his emotions, but to a Jedi it was quite clear. He was nervous. But he nodded his assent. “Of course, Master Skywalker.” He excused himself and followed Luke out of the room. We wanted to keep the sabotage secret for now, hoping that it might lure the attacker into a false sense of security. I fell into step behind Jinzler, making sure he couldn’t flee. Not that he had any place to run, but old habits die hard.

We exited into a wide corridor and cornered Jinzler between us. He glanced back and forth at us, and his expression grew concerned. As if he had something to fear. “Is something the matter?”

Luke raised a brow, then glanced to me. “Mara?”

I held out a datapad. “This is an employment record from my former boss, Talon Karrde. I worked in his organization for a time. I’m not sure if you were aware of that.”

Jinzler shook his head slowly. “I was not…”

I couldn’t help myself. “Of course you aren’t, because if you were you wouldn’t pretend to be an Ambassador while on a mission with Karrde’s favorite former employee, would you?”

“I…” Jinzler stared at the datapad, swallowing hard. “I was not aware you’d be accompanying us on the trip.”

I rolled my eyes. “Amateurs.”

Luke glanced at me sharply and I sighed, mentally gesturing for him to continue the line of questioning.

Luke placed his hands on his hips. He rarely looked intimidating, but when he wanted to he did a pretty good job of it. “Is there else anything you want to tell us?”

Jinzler kept his eyes trained on Luke. “No.”

I barked out a laugh. “Why do people always lie to Jedi? Do you think you won’t get caught or something?”

Jinzler glared at me. “You don’t fool me; you’re not all powerful.”

“No, we’re not,” Luke said.

“Why do you hate the Jedi?” I demanded, cutting off Luke. He tensed beside me, but didn’t interrupt my line of questioning. Apparently he was also curious to hear the answer to that question.

Jinzler continued to stare at me. “Do I need a reason?”

I made a mental note that he hadn’t denied hating the Jedi. “When someone’s trying to kill us, yes. You do.”

Jinzler started in surprise. It was not a reaction one could fake easily. And, from everything I’d observed over the past few days, Jinzler wasn’t that good of an actor. “Someone’s trying to kill you?”

Luke glanced to me. I let him answer. “Yes. What can you tell us about that?”

“Yes,” I replied. I held up the datapad. “After all, you have the background for such sabotage. Not to mention the motive.”

“I…” Jinzler shook his head. “I had nothing to do with this. What exactly happened?”

My eyes narrowed. I could sense that he was telling the truth, that he hadn’t been involved with the sabotage. But something was still off about him. “We’ll get to that later. First, tell us how you got on this mission in the first place. You’re not an ambassador; you’re an employee of Talon Karrde’s.”

Jinzler nodded and sighed. “Yes. I am.” He glanced to Luke, almost as if looking for help against the irate pregnant lady, but Luke gestured for him to continue. He sighed again and leaned against the wall of the corridor, looking surprisingly disheveled even in heavy ambassadorial robes. I idly wondered where he’d gotten them. “I intercepted some messages while working at one of his outposts. I noticed the phrase ‘Outbound Flight’ and had to determine what was going on. Knowing it was the only way to get an invitation, I posed as an ambassador and contacted Aristocra Formbi.”

“And just how did you manage to do that?” Luke asked.

Jinzler smiled. “As you said, I have the background, do I not?”

I waved my hand. “We’ll get to the technical stuff later. Why’d you want to come aboard, then? You said you didn’t know we’d be on this mission, so it’s not a vendetta against us.”

Jinzler closed his eyes for a moment, looking sullen. When he opened them, I could see a flash of pain long repressed. “My sister was onboard Outbound Flight.”

Luke swallowed. “Oh.”

Now I understood Jinzler’s reaction when Luke and I first sensed the survivors. Jinzler had hoped that his sister was among them. “And that’s why you hate the Jedi? Because they got her killed?”

Jinzler shook his head. “Actually, it’s the other way around. My sister was a Jedi.”

Luke and I shared a glance. That didn’t make sense. If Jinzler’s sister was a Jedi, why did he hate the Order so much? But then I realized—Jedi of the Old Republic did not know their families. They committed their lives to the Order, never having families of their own. Callista, being from another sect, was an exception to this. Jinzler had, most likely, never even known his sister.

Luke figured it out just before I did. “You were jealous, weren’t you?”

There was a flash of intense anger from Jinzler that he didn’t even try to hide. “Do you blame me? She was all my parents could talk about and she didn’t even live in our house. I could never live up to her, no matter what I did. Even after following in my father’s footsteps.”

I rolled my eyes. “That’s very mature, Jinzler. But not a good reason to try to kill us.”

“I told you, I wasn’t involved. I know you can determine whether if I’m lying or not.”

“Fine, let's assume you didn’t try to kill us and our unborn child,” Luke said, emphasizing his last words and the danger one would be in if they tried to do just that. Jinzler glanced at my stomach, looking concerned. “Why are you here, then?”

There was a long pause. “Because I want to pay my respects,” Jinzler finally admitted. “I only had one conversation with my sister and for a long time I’ve regretted the way I acted.” He looked to us. “I wanted to tell her I’m sorry, the only way I knew how.”

“If you regret your actions, why do you still hate the Jedi?” I asked.

Jinzler ran his fingers through his short, graying hair. “They took her away from the family.”

“I can understand that,” Luke said after long moments. “But your parents must have consented. And our Order does not operate in the same manner.”

“Not yet, at least,” Jinzler said bitterly. “Not until you come across some Force sensitive kid and the parents won’t let it be trained.”

“No,” Luke said firmly. “That will not happen.”

Jinzler looked Luke up and down. “We’ll see.”

“Okay,” I said, breaking up their little showdown, which in my opinion was quite ironic. “Thank you, Jinzler. Although, in the future, we’d prefer that we keep things open and honest between all of us on the mission.”

“Yes.” Jinzler’s eyes darted back and forth between us. “You said somebody tried to kill you?”

Luke nodded. “Yes. And the communications from our ship are being jammed.”

Jinzler’s eyes widened. “Who could have done that?”

I cocked an amused brow. “You?”

Jinzler rolled his eyes. “Funny.”

“Do you have any guesses?” Luke asked. I was also curious to hear Jinzler’s thoughts on the situation.

He paused, lost in thought. Then he nodded. “There’s something not right about that Hano woman.”

Luke cringed. “Yeah. We thought so, too.”

“Can I go now? Or am I under Jedi arrest?”

So the bitterness wasn’t entirely gone, then.

Luke nodded toward the doorway. “Thank you for your time.” Without another word, Jinzler turned and went back into the mess.

“Well, that was fun,” I muttered when LaRone was out of earshot.

“You believe him though, don't you?”

“I didn’t sense any treachery from him. He’s telling the truth.”

“Same here. He still doesn’t like us very much.”

I shrugged. “I’m used to that. What’s our next move?”

Luke shifted his feet, adjusting his position against the wall. “Now we figure out who’s trying to kill us.”

“So, just another day in the Skywalker household.”

Luke made a face. “Right. The Chiss had more of an opportunity to sabotage the banner.”

“Yes, but have they had access to Outbound Flight's turbolift system?”

“Possibly. With the exception of the two of us, we’ve all been down here on D-Five since we arrived. Anybody could have come onboard since then.”

“And General Drask isn’t exactly fond of the Jedi,” I finished for him. “But that doesn’t necessarily mean he’d try to kill us. What are our other options?”

“Fel.”

I shook my head. “I trust LaRone implicitly, Luke.”

“So do I, but that’s not what I said. I said Fel.”

I bit my lip, thinking. I still didn’t know much about Soontir Fel, but what I did know led me to believe that he would never try to kill someone covertly. Fel was big on honor, which meant he’d stare you in the eye while killing you. “You really think he’d be involved in something like this? It doesn’t sound like the way he operates at all.”

“True,” Luke sighed, “and I almost feel like he’s family. But there are still too many unknowns when it comes to him and the Empire of the Hand.”

“Are you sure this has nothing to do his refusal to contact Wedge?”

Luke sighed again. “Yes, Mara.”

I raised a hand. “Just checking. What about Rida Hano?”

Luke cocked a brow. “I know that you’ve suspected her since day one.”

“And now we have another person saying there’s something not quite right with her.”

“I dunno, Mara. I haven’t sensed anything wrong about her.”

“Yes, but you haven't spoken to her privately. I have.”

Luke ran a hand through his hair. “Okay, so that leaves us Drask, Fel, and Hano as suspects. What’s our next move?”

“I think the first thing we should do is talk to Callista. She's a Jedi; she might be able to help us. And she can confirm or deny Jinzler’s story.”

Luke nodded in agreement. “I’ll go get her.”

“No, I’ll go.” I didn’t know why I suddenly had the urge to keep Luke away from the mess, but it was there so I listened. I entered the mess…

And stopped short when I saw Callista and Hano, deep in conversation on the far side of the room. Like old friends.

“What about Diya, then?”

Luke and I shared a curious glance. “Diya?” I asked.

“Diya Rohan. She was a Jedi from Coruscant. Palpatine ordered her to leave with Anakin and Obi-Wan.”

“I’m sorry, I’ve never heard of her,” Luke said.

“Oh.” Callista looked saddened. “She was a good friend. I was hoping that she had survived.”

I stifled a gasp as I watched them talk, and it hit me.

I rushed back into the corridor, nearly out of breath. Luke caught hold of me and squeezed my shoulders, sensing my anxiety. “What’s wrong, Mara?”

I could see Luke’s mind working furiously behind his brilliant blue eyes, the letters of those two names rearranging into almost perfect anagrams. Then those blue eyes widened in realization. “You’re not implying…”

I nodded furiously. “I saw them talking, and it clicked. Diya Rohan is still alive, Luke. She’s Rida Hano. And she’s come back to finish Palpatine’s job.”

And we're right into it. Mara hiding in herself, but I don't blame her. Seeing the carefully packed supplies for 50,000 people who never had a chance has to be haunting. A time capsule of pain.

The turbolift scene was amazing!! I ADORE how you wrote Luke using the Force there, and Mara's observations of him doing so. And the image of her leaning her head against him and helping... be still my ginchy heart.

Jinzler's story is still so sad. His talk with Luke and Mara was very interesting, and sobering. But I like how they're starting to piece things together... just not sure what yet, exactly.... except that it might involve this Rida person. Rida is Diya??? I'm a little freaked out that pregnant Mara is on the ship with someone who is intent on finishing Palpatine's work. Just sayin'. READ: Don't hurt the baby!!!

Teasing aside, excellent update and all these twists make me wonder just what's going to happen next!!

Is it wrong that I wanted Luke and Mara to make out in the stopped turbo lift? I still don't trust Callista...I am pretty sure she's Sith. You are not going to make me like her...NEVER! Other than that, it was a brilliant update! I admire the amount of reading you must have done to get all of the canon stuff straight. I am still upset that I had to reread Children of the Jedi to write a couple of my fics. I can't imagine doing all the leg work you appeared to have done.

This is very fascinating. You see, you have changed some things from canon obviously and the thing is, I don't know if some of my suspicions are correct or not.

You see, the thing is about Jedi is that they are really fascinated with the concept of "the truth from a certain point of view." I mean, Luke and Mara have had to take some people's words on quite a few things so far. Aside from the Chiss, there is also Callista to consider. In canon, she was not on Outbound Flight. But she has already said that she knew Diya Rohan: that she was her friend. Rohan also knew about Callista's fellow Jedi lover. Luke and Mara have no idea what Rohan looks like, or if she even existed, and, indeed, what Callista even looked like in her youth. They only have their sense of the Force from her, her facial expressions and body language, and her word.

The puzzling aspect of all of this is that the sabotage happened before they even left the Chiss ship to Outbound Flight. Someone has connections or access to Chiss ships--or just that vessel--and the Dreadnought technology of Outbound Flight.

I have my suspicions about Hano, but now ... I'm beginning to have other suspicions about another person as well. If even some of that is true, then your deception--your misdirection--is well played, JediMara77. Well played ...

I?d seen the destruction when we first arrived, but this was much worse. Because the ships were so damaged, it as almost impossible to find bodies. But we still came upon errant skulls and bones, reminding me of the true extent of my former master?s depravity. My jaw must have been set the entire trip, for Luke kept his distance, offering mental support and talking little. It was worse when we got to the supply core. I couldn?t imagine how much food, water, and other supplies were there, separated into piles for easy retrieval. Enough supplies for 50,000 people. Who Palpatine intended to kill from the very beginning.
You really made cold chills run down my back with that!

?No, I?m not okay, and I don?t want to talk about it, all right??

Luke blinked. ?Well, at least you admitted it.?

?Skywalker.?
Bravo!!!

in the back of my mind, I felt the telltale sign of Luke reaching out into the Force. Even before our bond in the Force solidified, I?d always been able to sense him better than other Jedi. It wasn?t hard to figure out why?he was the most powerful Force user I?d ever encountered. Even more powerful than Palpatine. And as close as we'd become, sensing him reach out into the Force was such an astonishing feeling that I almost had to remind myself to breathe.
Wooot!!!

It was completely silent. I chanced a glance at Luke; he was leaning against the wall of the lift, his eyes closed and mouth slightly parted. He looked completely serene, but I could sense the struggle in his mind as he fought to keep the lift stopped. Fought to keep his wife and unborn child from plummeting to their deaths.
Aaaahhhhh

I leaned my head against his shoulder and closed my eyes, stretching out into the Force. All at once, I felt my mind envelop his and our bond in the Force flared, merging us into one being. Like vines woven together, stronger together than apart. Let me help, I whispered to him. But my words weren?t necessary as he greedily clung to my Force presence, wanting and needing my strength. All my concentration was on keeping the lift upright, but even still I couldn?t help smiling, thinking of how far he?d come. How far we?d both come.
Indeed! Love, love love this passage and how well it connects with the previous ones!!!

I rolled my eyes. ?Amateurs.?

Luke glanced at me sharply and I sighed, mentally gesturing for him to continue the line of questioning.
lol - not as polite as you would wish, huh, Luke?

Jinzler nodded and sighed. ?Yes. I am.? He glanced to Luke, almost as if looking for help against the irate pregnant lady
That man really needs protection!

"Well, that was fun,? I muttered when LaRone was out of earshot.
LaRone? Jinzler, surely?

What?s our next move??

Luke shifted his feet, adjusting his position against the wall. ?Now we figure out who?s trying to kill us.?

?So, just another day in the Skywalker household.?

Fel was big on honor, which meant he?d stare you in the eye while killing you.
How well put!

Diya Rohan is still alive, Luke. She?s Rida Hano. And she?s come back to finish Palpatine?s job
Aijaijai - the tension s upping now! Great move, didn't see that coming!